Adjustable fixture strap



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J. MORGENSTERN Y ADJUSTABLE FI XTURE STRAP Filed Jan. 5, 1924 PatentedDec. 8, 1925.

JOSEPH MORGENSTEBN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ADJUSTABLE FIXTURE STRAP.

Application led January 5, 1924. Serial No. 684,527.

To all whom t may concern:

. Be it known that I, JOSEPH MORGEN- STERN, a citizen of the l UnitedStates, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in AdjustableFixture Strapsfof which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention, like that which constitutes the subject matter of myco-pending application, Serial No. 682,154, filed December 22, 1923,relates to improvements in fixture supporting devices of the kindcommonly known as fixtures straps that are used for attaching electriclight fixtures to outlet boxes or receptacles, and its objects are toprovide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device of this nature thatis adjustable and by reason thereof is adaptable to receptacles oroutlet boxes of different kinds and sizes, and to fixtures havingattaching4 portions of different dimensions; and which is reversible toprovide for different methods of installation of receptacles or outletboxes, all of which will be readily understood from the following detaildescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing whereinFig. 1 is a central section through an outlet box and the adjacentportion of a fixture attached thereto by my improved adjustable strap;Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of what is shown in Fig. 1, with thefixture removed; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the two memberswhereof the strap is composed, showing them separated.

My improved fixture .su porting device, or fixture stra y, is com ose oftwo members 1 and 2whic are a justably or telescopically connectedtogether in the following manner: The member 1 has iianges 3 that areturned downwardly and inwardly from opposed portions of its lateraledges near its inner end to form channels 4; and the inner end of the.member 2 is frictionally engaged within said channels.

IThe members v1 and 2 are notched at their inner or overlapping ends toeffect an opening 5, and beyond each end of said opening and in axialalignment therewith the respective members are provided with slots 6.This treatment of the members, besides Vaffording the opening 5 andslots 6 for purposes hereinafter to be ex lained', renders said membersresilient in aateral direction.

The members are desirably. die stamped from sheet metal and are soformed that before they are interen aged the inner end of member 2 issomew at wider than the distance between the vertical walls of theopposed channels 4 so that when the end of member' 2 is inserted intothe channels the parts willbe placed under tension thereby to causeenough friction to prevent too free relative movement between themembers. Preferably, in the attainment of this end, the lateral edges ofthe member l normally converge toward the inner end of the member whilethe corresponding edges of member 2 diverge inwardly at about the sameangle so that when the members are brought together both will yieldabout equally and the opposed lateral edges of the complete device willassume a substantially parallel relation.

The outer ends of the members 1 and 2 are offset with respect to thebody portions of the members and are in planes parallel therewith andare provided with threaded apertures 7 An outlet box, designated 10, isshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and according to one common method ofinstallation the same may be setI within a wall, in which case thesurface of the wall will be substantially flush with the open side ofthe box, as indicated by the dot-and-dash line a in Fig. 1; or accordingto another method of installation, the box may be placed against thewall, in which case the box would bearl the same relation to the wall asit does to the dot-and-dash line b in Fig...1. A fixture stud 12 isshown as secured, through its arms 13 and bolts 14, to the circular wallof the outlet box, and assumin that it is desired to attach a fixture tosai stud through the use of my im roved strap when the installationissuch t at the open side of the box is substantially Hush with thesurface of the wall, the strap is applied to the stud, as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2, with the stud projecting through the opening 5, and a nut15 is applied to the stud for drawing the opposite ends of the strap upagainst diametrically. opposed portions o the peripheral wall o the ox,or against the surface of the wall indicated b the dotand-dash line ashould the o en side of the box be slightly inwardly o the plane of suchsurface, as sometimes occurs. For an is turned so that the ofset ends ofthe members 1 and 2 are spaced from the wall. The xture 17 (shown onlyin part) terminates at its upper end in a an e 18 which joins the bodyportion of the xture through a fiat annular part 19. In applying thelixture, the flange V18 is placed against the wall and screws 20 arepassed through holes in the part 19 and are threaded into the apertures7 of the members 1 and 2.

If the outlet box 10 is placed against the wall, as above described thefixture strap is inverted to bring its offset ends above the open sideof the box and the ixture is applied as before. 1 This being such anobvious alternative, illustration is deemed unneces- Iii some cases thefixture stud 12 is omitted, and under these circumstances the lugs 21 ofthe outlet box are used for attachin the ixture strap. Screws are thenengage through the slots 6 and threaded into the tapped apertures 22, ofthe lugs.

The length of the slots 6 provides for a wide range of sizes of outletboxes, and the members 1 and 2 are adjusted toward and from each otherto take care of different sizes of fixtures.

From the foregoing description it will be seen how readily my improvedfixture strap may be adjusted and fixed in any adjusted position withoutthe need of screws or the use of tools and that when it is in place itis securely held against disarrangement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. An adjustable fixture strap comprising a receiving member and anentering member, the receiving member having flanges turned over andinwardly from its lateral edges to form channels into which the enteringmember is adapted to be inserted, the inner ends of the members havingrelatively deep notches which form an opening for a fixture stud whensaid members are assembled, each member having a slot beyond and insubstantially axial alignment with said opening, the said membersincorporating means for attaching a fixture to the strap.

2. An adjustable fixture strap com rising fiat overlapping members thatare ormed at their overlapping portions to provide an opening for afixture stud or like support, said members being slidably connected t0-gether exclusively by interergaging integral parts of the respectivemembers, the outer ends of said members being offset from the plane oftheir body portions and provided with openings for fixture attachingscrews.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix my signature.

JOSEPH MORGENSTERN.

